Just Falafel – Vegi Lunch for Meat Lovers

Being a meat lover I’ve never been a fan of missing out on my lunchtime protein whether it be fish or meat. Falafel, for me, is another story. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a huge lover of houmous and enjoy what can be made with chickpeas, or even that falafels are deep-fried but whatever the connection I tend to not miss the sight of meat whenever falafels are involved.

That being said, I was intrigued by ‘Just Falafel’; a vegetarian fast-food joint that has recently opened in Seven Dials, Covent Garden. Would it really sway me into missing out on my beloved meat variations? Afterall, Covent Garden is full of lunch time options how can ‘Just Falafel’ compete?

The menu consists of many variations of falafel, served in a sandwich, wrap, burger or quesadilla with different toppings and vegetables representing different worldwide cultures such as Japanese, Mexican, Italian etc.

I opted for the ‘Japanese’ which consists of falafel (not pictured), avocado, tomato, sesame seeds, wasabi mayo and ginger dressing.

The menu has the option of adding a ‘meal’ to your falafel choice which is typical of a fast-food join – chips and a drink. Trying to be slightly healthier than I have been, I felt that the wrap by itself was enough of a treat. I was actually really surprised at the size of the wrap. I definitely felt like I made a right choice as a meal would have been too heavy for lunch.

As soon as I took a bite, I was blown away at how strong the wasabi mayo was alongside the ginger dressing. The wasabi mayo was a little on the runnier side whilst being sweet and syrupy that coated everything in the wrap. If you’re not a fan of wasabi you will not be a fan of this! The falafel was cooked well, crispy on the outside whilst still containing the soft flavour-some middle and the avocado and tomato worked well alongside the other strong flavours but were slightly overpowered by the wasabi.

All in all, this was a pleasant surprise. As much as I love falafel I didn’t think I would enjoy Just Falafel as much as I did. It won’t win any awards for being stylish – after all, how can you make a wrap look beautiful? – but it’s the taste the matters and this definitely hit the right spot.